Everyone’s favourite Nicolas Cage (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) is back playing another enigmatic oddball. However, the role doesn’t play towards the actors usual blend of ticks and outbursts but rather, and unintentionally so, reflects the movie he’s starring in.
Back on the Strip is a guilty pleasure in the sense that I feel like I need to apologize to somebody for laughing as much as I did. This unleashed movie isn’t very perceptive or thoughtful, but it knows how to deliver a payoff and a punchline. I suppose in these circumstances you have to be fair and give credit where credit is due, but it feels like I’m rewarding bad behaviour.
The universe has sent me a remedy after slugging through last week’s Toopy and Binoo The Movie. That medicine is Netflix’s The Monkey King, an action-packed fantasy that’s inspired by Chinese literature and works as a tribute to the comic humour of Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle, Journey to the West). Chow serves as an executive producer on The Monkey King – the production must’ve been tickled pink.
Theater Camp is less of a satire on community theatre nor is it a snide comedy towards theatre dorks. In fact, Theater Camp is actually quite sincere with its representation of people who are very enthusiastic about the performing arts – kids and adults alike. Through that sincerity, there are still self-aware moments that will make this moviegoing demographic laugh at themselves but, still, Theater Camp is all in good fun.
Your enjoyment of The Out-Laws will depend on how much you like (or can tolerate) Adam Devine. The former Workaholics up-and-comer, who has gradually been carving out a career as a leading man, is centre stage in Happy Madison’s action-comedy. As someone who has always been entertained by Devine’s roles (the Pitch Perfect franchise, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, When We First Met, Game Over, Man!, Isn’t It Romantic), Adam Devine’s goofy performance in…
The intentions of Retrograde are tough to pin down and, if the viewer likes the movie, the Canadian indie is even more difficult to recommend because of how persistently obnoxious it is. I should know because I belong in this camp, and I’m going to do my damndest to explain why I think Adrian Murray’s movie is a brilliant comedy.
Becky was an outrageous home invasion thriller that made for ideal late-night entertainment. The movie didn’t necessarily warrant a sequel but, if it set out to be as fun as its predecessor, I’d welcome it. After watching Wrath of Becky, I wish I had reconsidered.
Primarily known for her Emmy award winning roles on TV’s Seinfeld and Veep, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ recent feature work has more than suggested that she’s the go-to actor to portray inescapable awkwardness in situational comedy. While Downhill and You People may have succeeded in securing broader laughs, writer/director Nicole Holofcener’s latest dramedy You Hurt My Feelings gives Louis-Dreyfus the opportunity to be more confrontational, allowing her to dig deeper into a character’s take on personal betrayal.
By: Danyal Somani In the semi-autobiographical comedy About My Father, co-writer/actor Sebastian Maniscalco portrays a fictionalized version of himself trying to win over his girlfriend’s family in hopes of proposing to her during a Fourth Of July trip. However, when his traditional father Salvo (Robert De Niro) tags along, challenges arise (including class clashes, more eccentric family members, and some interesting pets) making Sebastian’s mission more difficult.
